how do you "celebrate" your diabetes anniversary!?

I am a T1 coming up on my 25th anniversary. Sometime in August 1985, when i was 11. Its wild to think about! Been some years when i didnt take such good care, and some others when i have dont all i can to take care of all this stuff we need to think about. But its been a journey to "have a relationship with diabetes," as a therapist told me once, and i feel like commemorating somehow, but not sure how.

Just wondering if anyone came up with any great ways to "celebrate" all the strides we take to do what we gotta do...

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I too was diagnosed in August, in my case 1982. In reality I had been showing strong DKA symptoms since late July of that year but it wasn't until me lapsing in and out of DKA coma that I got medical attention. Don't really do much to celebrate it, other than always round up the number of years I've had it :-). In this case I'm starting my 28th year but I almost always tell folks 30 years!

I had once tried to back-extrapolate my exact date of diagnosis but to tell you the truth my personal memories from that period are all a blur. Dang coma :-). I could probably get a copy of my hospital record with date of admission etc. I do remember I got out of the hospital about two weeks after diagnosis and school had already started... probably puts it right after the middle of August.

One thing you can do if you want, is apply for a Joslin 25-year certificate. It used to be unusual for someone to be 25 years after diagnosis and going strong, so it was once a "medal", but now I think it's just a certificate. There are still medals for 50 and 75 years. You need some documentation, and you may be able to help expand medical knowledge of long-term diabetes treatment by some surveys or if you're asked to participate in a research study. See http://www.joslin.org/research/medalist_program.html

I have memory probs from a diabetic coma when I was 12. Thankfully I have a Twin who helps me remember. BUT I have, to this day, had flashbacks that happen when I hear someone talk of a memory or ask me about something.

I was only out 4 days but it seemed to shut me down enough, I guess.

I know for a fact I was diagnosed in Aug of 1980 because of the surrounding circumstances. Even though it was rare back then I still ended up having a classmate with the same disease: Tony.

Great ideas - thanks. ;) Now that i think about it, it was on or very near my mom's bday when i got out of the hospital Aug 22nd. So i was probably (gulp) in the hospital about now, because i was also there about 2 weeks after a while in ICU due to severe dehydration. My mom, and needless to say I was too, so thrilled i was getting out.

I'm glad its not so rare to be going strong after 25 years. Guess we have alot to be thankful for, in a way. Do you remember those commercials with Mary Tyler Moore saying how 1 in some number of people died from diabetes bla bla bla back then? Very funny (and sad) to think about.

You made me laugh out loud reading your long list of good stuff, Danny. I love diabetic humor - like we're in a private joke club. Think i'll need to make one of those lists..... lots and lots of corn chips of all varietes, shapes, and sizes.

I have not gotten around to applying for my 25 year medal, I think I was diagnosed in November of 1968 right before my 14th birthday.... I but I think I will do the Joslin thing soon... I do not have my medical records from 1968, but my family doctor, now in his late 80's, is still healthy and very active in my home town.. I will write him and ask for his support, as he was so nice to me and told me I was his favorite diabetic!!! I saw him over the Christmas holidays and he was fit as a fiddle.. Thanks for the reminder about how much I have to celebrate in being in pretty good shape...

August 22, 1979 31 years in a few days. I thought about celebrating last year the big 30. Then life got in the way and all of a sudden it was the 24th. I toasted the memories with Diet Coke and moved on. Maybe I will celebrate my 35th.

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